We reviewed American Wave International sliding shorts a while back, and, a year later, the information and the product still hold up.

American Wave International (www.americanwave.com), has taken this science to the ball field, having designed a line of compression shirts and shorts made of polypropylene (or lycra) and neoprene, which has recently been researched and proven to be the best fabric in regards to muscle performance. The material is smooth and light, yet holds the muscle in place for optimal protection and performance, while offering the added advantage of keeping them warm in cold weather.

My softball-playing daughter recently tried AWI’s sliding shorts. And while she might not have noticed the durable and comfortable seven needle flat stitch and breathable perforated neoprene sliding pad, after years of wearing her brothers’ hand-me-downs she felt pretty awesome in top-of-the-line sliding shorts that made them jealous. She’s only 10, and most of the girls at this level prefer to tiptoe into bases, rather than get down. But my youngster has no problem going in hard, partly because she can feel confident sliding into bases without worrying about abrasions. Using science to blend comfort, performance and protection is what AWI is all about.